Improvement in working- and locking railway-switches and signals



2 Sheets-SheeL-T. J BRUNTON.

- Railway-Switch.- I .No 102,483 I Patented May 3, I870.

N.FETERS. FHOm-LITHOGRAHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

JOHN nunrouor KYENSINGTON, ENe -L'ANfn Lam Patent lira-102,483, dated m3, 1870;

Isl,

IMPROVEMENT IN WORKING- AND IiOCKING- RAILWAY-SWITCHES AND SIGNALS Theschedifle referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesamev 1, JOHN BRUNTON, of Kensington, in the -county of Middle'scx,England, civi1 engineer, have invented Second, that the signals,indicating the position of the points, shall be so arranged that it isout of the power of the pointsman to make any error, such as showingMain line clearfl'while his points are open :to the siding or-branch,and nice oersa.

'lhird, that the arrangement of. the signaling and points-lockingapparatus shall be such that each of the three movements necessary forthe whole operation, viz: blocking the main line, moving the points, andopening the siding or branch, or vice versa, must be'complete before thenext movement can be made, and that the order or rotation of thesemovements cannot be interfered with by any carelessness on the part ofthe pointsmau. I

According to this invention, the switch-points or movable rail,which-may be otherwise of the ordinary construction, is provided with aprojecting stud on its under side, carrying an anti-friction roller, ornot, as preferred, which works in a spiral groove, formed in acylindrical scroll-cam mounted upon a rocking-shaft or spindle, which isplaced transverselyto the line of rails, and is actuated by a lever, orother convenient arrangement of mechanism. I

-The two extremities of the spiral groove terminate in a straightportion made directly in the path of rotation of the cam, and,consequently, imparting no motion to the switch-point ormovable railwhen its projecting stud enters thereim Upon the periphery of the cam,and parallel with the twostraight portions of the groove, are providedwedge-pieces or blocks, which project some distance from the surface ofthe cylindrical body of the cam, on or to which-they are formed orsecured, and bear against one side of the switch when in its open orvclosed position, thereby efi'ectually locking'it in its place, abridge-piece serving as the abutment of. the switch when open, and theside of the main rail as the'abutment when shut. When using a movablerail, a special abutment will be provided for both ends of its traverse.'I

By making a portion of the groove straight, or in the direction of thecircumference of the cam at each end, the cam is permitted to rotatesufficiently to al' low of the wedge-pieces being brought into or out 0action before the switch-point or movable rail begins to move, or afterit has been driven home by the cam.

In order to prevent the accidental lifting or rising of the end of theswitch-point or movable rail, a T- I headed stud or guide-pin may befixed thereto, and work-in a corresponding-shaped curve'o. groove in thebase-plate; or the toe of the switch-point or movable rail may beextended on the lower side, and work in' a I horizontal groove speciallyprovided in the base of the chair.

' Upon the cam orrocking-shaft above referred to there are keyed one ormore segmental locking-pallets or sectors, which interlock withcorresponding sectors carried on a subsidiary shaft or shaftscommunicating with the main line, and branch, or siding-signals, in

the usual manner, and actuated bya hand-wheel or lever, weighted orotherwise. I

And, in order that the said invention may be fully understood, It shallnow proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purposeshall refer to the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings,

the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all thefigures. v I

Figure 1, of thedrawings, represents a plan, showing my improvedarrangementof apparatus for actuating switches, points, or movablerails, and for locking or immediately fixing the same in their open andshut position, also the mechanism for interlocking the actuatingmechanism of the points and signals of the mainline and branch orsiding;

3 Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, correspondingto fig. 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are detached sectional elevations of the interlockingmechanism;

Figure 5 is adetail, showing themode of prevent ing the accidentalrisingof the toe of-- the switch-,

point or movable rail; and Y I Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged details ofthe cylindrical grooved cam, and its wedge projections or blocks foractuating and locking or fixing the switch point or movable rail in itsopen and shut positions.

At A are the rails of the main line;

B B are the rails of the branch line or siding; and

G O are the switches, all of which may be securedin the usual manner bychairs.

The toe of each switch, at the 'lower part thereof, is extended, asshown at a, fig. 5, and slides to and fro laterallyin a horizontalgroove or channel cast in the side of the chairs D D, for the purpose ofpre venting any accidental rising of the pointed end: of thejswitches. I

' These switches are, by preference, rolled with a base of equal, ornearly equal, breadth to the-rails, and are provided on their undersides, near their a sector,

pointed ends, with a vertical stud or projection, 71, fig.

2, carrying, or not, as preferred, an anti-friction roller,

which works in a groove, 0, made in a cylindrical cam, E. This groove isof a spiral.form,'for a portion of its length equal to the amount oftraverse to be given to the switch, and terminates at each end in astraight portion, extending circumferentially rounda portion of thecircumference of the body of the cam, as will beclearly seen onreferring to figs. 6 and 7.

Two of these cams are employed, situate one underneath each switch, andboth-keyed or otherwise secured onto a transverse rocking-shaft, F,which passes under the rails, and is supported in hearings GrG on thebed-plate H.

Each of the cams E E is provided with two wedgepieces or blocks, 1 I,situate on one side of each of the straight portions of the groove 0' O,fig. 6, for the purpose of locking or fixing the switch in its open andshut position, after it has been adjusted by the partial rotation of thecam.

This fixing of the switch is efi'ected by the-forcible entrance of oneor other of the wedge-pieces or blocks '1 I, either between the face ofthe switch and the main-line rail next to it, when the point is open, orbetween the foot of the switch and an arched abutment, K, bolted to thebed-plate, where the point is closed, as shown clearly in figs. 1 and 2,thus effectually preventing any accidental displacement of the switchafter it has been adjusted.

If desired, the movement of the switches may-be.

accomplished in the ordinary manner, in lieu of by a cam-groove, asdescribed, and the switches may then be locked or fixed in position bythe aid of the wedgepieces .or blocks I I, which, 'in that case, wouldbe ,carried on plain bosses on the transverse rockingshaft F.

This rocking-shaft F may be actuated either by a The subsidiary shaft Lis carried in hearings in the sides of a closed box, P, which alsocontains the mechanism for actuating the main-line and branch orsiding-signals, and for interlocking such mechanism with thepoints-actuating mechanism.

Q is the shaft for actuating the main line signal, and R is asimilarshaft for actuating the branch or siding-signal; these shafts areworked by the leverhandles S and T, respectively, and carry shortleverarms, U and V, which are connected to the signal-rods or wires Wand X.

On each of the two shafts Q and It there is mounted indicated in mydrawingsby the numerals 1 2, and on the subsidiary shaft L there' aremounted two sectors, 3 and 4-. The sectors of land 3 are in the sameplane, and interlock, the one with the other, while the sectors 2 and 4are in another plane, and also interlock the one with the other.

When the sevcral sectors are in the position shown more clearly in fig.3, it is obvious. that the sector 1 will prevent the sector 3 frommoving, since its periphery bearsagainst the end of the sector 3,'whilethe sector tlocks in the same manner the sector 2." Gonsequently, untilthe shaft Q and it sector 1 have been t rn o th ir full extent by thesignal-lever S, as shown in fig. 4,- in oi'-.

der to block the main line, or show main line clear, as the case maybe,the points which are .worked from the shaft L cannot be movd, neiti1evcan the signal for the branch or siding be actuated, since-the peripheryof the sector 4, by bearing'agains't the endof the sector 2, effectuallylocks the shaft R. So soon, however, as the sector 1 has been turnedfull over, as seen in fig.'4, then the sector 3 is free to move, andlocks the sector 1 by bringing its periphery against the op-. posite endof that sector.

This movement of the sector 3, keyed on the shaft L, opens or closes thepoints, and unlocks, at the same time, the sector 2, which allows of thebranch signal being actuated, but not until the points have been fullyopen or shut, and wedged or locked, whereupon the several sectors willassumethe positions indicated in fig. 4. In figs. 1 and 3. the sectorsare in the position they assume when the 'points are open to the branchor siding, the main line being blocked, and the branch-signal showingline clear, but in .fig. 4 the points are closed to the branch orsiding, the main line signal showing line clear, while the branch 'lineis blocked by the branch-signal.

A small raised lug or projection is formed one one end of each sector,to serve as a stop by coming in contact with a surface orperiphery ofthe corresponding sector.

0 laims.

1. The system or mode of actuating the switches, points, or movablerails of. railway permanent way,

and of locking the same in their open and shut positions by the aidof-cams, or otherwise, in conjunction with wedge-piecesor blocks mountedupon one and the same rocking-shaft, substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

i 2. The use of a rocking-shaft and grooved cam for directly moving andactuating railway-switches, points, or movable rails, as hereinbeforedescribed, the cam being located beneath, and directly connected withthe switch or point which it actuates, as set forth.

3. The peculiar arrangement of interlocking sectors, whereby each ofthe-three movements necessary for the whole operation, namely,- theblocking the main line by signal-moving, and locking the points andopening the siding or branch by signal, or rice verse, must be completedbefore the next movement can be nade', substantially as hereinbeforedescribed.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name'to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN BRUNTON.

Witnesses CHAS. MILLs,

' F. W. ATKINSON,

